Knockaround Guys

A movie that may have gotten lost in the shuffle in the past few months, Knockaround Guys may just have a great deal of substance. Check it out inside.

Knockaround Guys is an example of a movie that may confuse the American public. From the title and some of the previews, one may get the idea that this is an action-oriented typical "tough-guy" movie that doesn't have a whole lot of depth to it. Besides, how many movies has Vin Diesel starred in that weren't action movies?

However, one must remember that this movie sat on the shelf for a couple of years before being released. And even then, it is widely rumored that it was only released due to the newfound stardom of Barry Pepper (We Were Soliders) and Diesel (The Fast and the Furious, xXx). After getting mild praise from the critics, I decided I should take a gander at one of the latest DVD releases.

In one of the movie's first opening scenes, Matty (Pepper) is attempting to land a job as a sports agent. When the interviewer finds out that he is the son the infamous mob boss, Benny Chains (Dennis Hopper), he immediately assumes that Matty is simply trying to "strong-arm" his way into the corporation. Despite his protests, Matty is rejected - for the 14th time, we later find out.

This sets the stage for a movie that is, surprisingly enough, about the characters, and the lives they lead. Being a "tough guy" is not for everyone, even if you are born into it, so-to-speak. Matty's uncle, Teddy (John Malkovich), shows him at a very young age that he just isn't cut out for the lifestyle. Young 12-year-old Matty was unable to pull the trigger, and that is yet another event that sets up the climax of the movie quite well.

Painted in lower, almost washed-out colors, the world of the Knockaround Guys is one in which the sons of an aging mob generation are trying to find their place in the world. Their fathers are important and powerful men, but they're still criminals. So what does that make their sons? In trying to prove himself to his father, Matty takes on the seemingly simple task of transporting some money... "life support" for his father, as he says later on.

Of course, this "simple" plan goes awry as a fairly unreliable member of the team; Marbles (Seth Green), loses the bag while filling up for gas. Apparently, a couple of town cops really rattled the little guy. One of them, played by Tom Noonan, only wants the city folk to travel on through, and not cause any problems. But when a sack of money is dropped into his lap, things get awfully tricky for everyone involved.

You may not ever see Diesel in a role such as this again, as he plays his character with a remarkable combination of determination and sadness. He understands the life he leads, and has come to grips with it, but at the same time, he knows that Matty just isn't of the same "mold." One short monologue of Diesel's, in which he simply tries to convince Matty to up and leave the whole mess, is easily one of Diesel's best in any of his films.

Pepper and Malkovich play the other two key roles in the film, and both slide into their characters as if they were made for the part. Both of them seem to fit snugly into the stereotypical role of the city "family tough guy," and Dennis Hopper is, of course, a convincing mob boss. In a movie that is all about betrayal and finding your purpose in life, the actors do a great job of not over-playing or over-compensating for their roles.

Nothing really stands out about the film from a technical viewpoint, and again, this is simply because the directors wished to focus on the characters and the story. The cinematography is still good though, and I especially enjoyed the setting for Diesel and Pepper's little "life dialogue" later on in the movie. Most of the film takes place in the tiny town of Wibaux, Montana, and some of the stark contrasts between the city boys and the townsfolk of Wibaux are quite humorous.

It's a film with good intentions behind it, and it doesn't strive to do much else. In this case, that's a positive thing, mainly because we are watching some major transitions in the life of one particular character. Everything, and everyone else, merely constitutes Matty's environment, and the world he lives in.

As a quick side bar, there is a scene for all you Diesel fans out there that are craving some action. I won't talk about it here, but the movie is worth watching for just that scene alone. In the end, you may be surprised as to how the movie turns out, and it will keep you guessing until the very end. It's not really what you would expect, but Knockaround Guys is definitely worth a look, if only for its excellent story and characterization.

500 seems to be an awfully high number... (inside joke for those who have seen the movie)

Ben S. Dutka
DVD Reviewer, Kikizo Movies